I had the pleasure of attending a choir concert put on by the Oregon State University choral program last week. Because my sister sang in two of the choirs at this concert, I thought it would be fun to break down the program a little bit and discuss how the composers created some stunning imagery […]
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Ola Gjeilo (pronounced Yay-lo) (b. 1978) is a 21st-century pianist and composer who has changed the face of contemporary choir music. His compositions whisk the listener away on a journey full of emotion and beauty. Gjeilo is one of my favorite modern choir composers, so let’s learn more about him and his music. About Ola […]
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I had the opportunity to attend a concert put on by the Oregon State University Chamber Choir this weekend, so today’s blog post is going to discuss some of the highlights from the show. There was so much wonderful music ranging from Bach to Penderecki that it was difficult to narrow down which pieces to […]
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Remember earlier this week when I posted about O Magnum Mysterium, a 16th century motet taken from Catholic Mass? Well, today I want to share another Mass with you – but this one is from the 21st century. Called Sunrise Mass, Norwegian composer Olja Gjeilo (b. 1978) created this 30-minute work for choir and strings with four […]
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Are you enjoying the sunshine and the beautiful weather that comes with springtime? Do you love classical music? If you answered yes to either of those questions, check out this list of classical music inspired by spring! [Part 1 can be found here.] Claude Debussy’s Rondes de Printemps (“Round Dances of Spring”) From 1905 to […]
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One of the most recognizable Christmas tunes of all time is Carol of the Bells. However, the signature four-note melody, appropriately bell-like in sound and movement, has some surprising origins. Believe it or not, Carol of the Bells was not originally a Christmas song at all. Based on folk music, Ukrainian composer Mykola Leontovych wrote the original […]
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“God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” is one of the oldest existing Christmas carols. Yep, you read that correctly. Dated back to the 1500s and earlier, this English carol has actually gone through a lot of change and misinterpretation over the years. “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” was written as a reaction to 15th century church music. […]
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It’s officially autumn! Time to bust out sweaters and boots and pumpkin spice everything. And while you’re at it, take a moment to listen to some of these classical works inspired by the new season. Antonio Vivaldi‘s Concerto no. 3 in F major, L’autunno (“Autumn” from The Four Seasons) Written around 1721, The Four Seasons is a hugely […]
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So this week I want to introduce you to a 21st century choral piece called Northern Lights by Norwegian composer/pianist Ola Gjeilo. It’s incredible. The text is the Latin Pulchra es amica mea, from Song of Solomon (in the Bible). Here is an English translation: Thou art beautiful, O my love,sweet and comely as Jerusalem,terrible as an army set in […]
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Last week we talked about Renaissance music, so today I’m going to introduce you to Renaissance composer Thomas Tallis and his choral motet Spem in alium. An English composer who lived from around 1505-1585, Thomas Tallis is considered one of England’s greatest composers. Not much is known about his early life, but he was probably […]
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